PLAYA VISTA — Nine games in, fresh off a trip that featured a disappointing collapse, a disappointing rally, a delightful blowout, and ultimately, one win and two losses, the Clippers’ head chef said he’s going to keep experimenting with the ingredients, but that he likes what’s brewing.

“We’re just still finding each other,” Coach Doc Rivers said before practice Sunday at the Clippers’ training facility, where the team prepared to host the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.

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“I love how we’re playing overall and so I’m satisfied with that. I just like the team, I like how we play, like how we compete. Execution is just gonna keep getting better. Guys are just gonna keep figuring each other out.”

Rivers is working on that too, he said, blending analytical data with his own senses to produce the best on-court pairings, depending on the night.

Against the Magic on Friday, that meant giving Boban Marjanovic his first start as a Clipper, a move that proved to be a tall task for host Orlando, which had to contend with the 7-foot-3 center as well as starting forwards Danilo Gallinari (6-10) and Tobias Harris (6-8).

“We’re not small, we’re big, so let’s not try to be small,” said Rivers, noting that the Clippers can also present a smaller lineup, with Gallinari at center and Harris at power forward. “I would rather have the versatility that we have than not having it. Some teams, their small lineups give them an advantage. (With) this team, our big lineup can give us an advantage.”

Rivers said it’s “most likely” Marjavonic would start again Monday in place of Marcin Gortat, who was in the starting lineup for the Clippers’ first eight games to extend his personal streak of consecutive starts to 172.

Gortat never removed his warmups Friday, but he is healthy and available, Rivers said, adding, “this is not like a controversy or anything. I decided to start Boban.”

“(Gortat) wasn’t thrilled, but it wasn’t to a point where he was upset, you know?” Rivers added about the 6-foot-11 center, who was shooting nearby.

“Right now, it says that the team is willing to do that. Good teams are always willing to do that. We have to see how long we can do that and if guys will accept that. If guys don’t accept that, that creates chemistry problems and all that stuff, but this team so far has been very good with change.”

Gortat — who is averaging 3.6 points and 5.5 rebounds in 16.6 minutes per game in his first season with the Clippers — was supportive on the bench during Friday’s 120-95 victory. But afterward, he retweeted Clipper Darrell, the team’s most famously vocal supporter, who wrote on Twitter: “This Broke My Heart When I Saw This about @LAClippers Center @MGortat Consecutive Game Streak!!! Why Do You Bench Someone Only 8 Games in the Season?!!!”

DOUBLE DOUBLE-DOUBLES

The combination of Marjanovic and Montrezl Harrell in the post proved fruitful for the Clippers.

They both notched double-doubles; Marjanovic had 10 points and 11 rebounds and Harrell added 10 points and 12 rebounds off the bench — just the second game this season two players on the same squad had double-doubles from the center position.

PRECAUTIONARY TALE? BUTLER TO SIT

The Timberwolves are coming to town to face the Clippers on Monday, but first they had a game scheduled Sunday in Portland against the Trail Blazers.

Late Sunday morning, the team announced that forward Jimmy Butler — the source of trade rumors since before the season began, including some indicating that his preferred destinations included the Clippers — would not play against the Blazers, citing “precautionary rest.”

Butler is averaging 22.3 points through seven games for Minnesota, which enters Sunday’s contest with a 4-5 record.

Mirjam Swanson covers the Clippers and the NBA for the Southern California News Group. Previously, she wrote about LeBron James and the rest of the Dream Team at the 2004 Olympics (where, yes, they took bronze) and Tiger Woods’ last (for now) major championship. Most recently, she’s covered city government, education and the occasional bear in a backyard.